Wednesday, May 23, 2012

"French to revive Sarkozy's EU carbon tariff idea"

Combined with Hollande's push for a financial transaction tax and the French should be able to socialize Europe's profligacy to the rest of the world.
Here in the U.S. we do it the old fashioned way, reserve currency imperialism.
From EurActiv:

Arnaud Montebourg, the newly-appointed French
minister for "industrial revival" who has built a reputation for his
fierce attacks against globalisation, has promised to revive old plans
by Nicolas Sarkzoy for a carbon tariff at the EU's borders, an idea
previously rejected as protectionist among France's European partners.

"We must demand reciprocity," Montebourg told French public television during his first interview as minister, saying he will revive plans for a carbon tariff at the EU's borders to protect local industry from unfair competition.

"This is an external tax," he explained when asked whether this would
mean imposing tariffs on products imported from China, where industries
are not subject to CO2 emission limits.
The plan was "already on the agenda of the European Commission," Montebourg claimed.

An old and controversial idea
Brussels indeed floated the idea in 2008 when it presented its
climate change and energy package of legislation. José Manuel Barroso,
Commission president, said China and other exporting countries with lax
climate policies could be forced to buy EU pollution permits if they
want to trade with Europe.